August 29th Update

Things are progressing on the straight and narrow. Tyler’s doctors and nurses are pleased at his healing, and he is building strength with every passing day. On Saturday, Tyler completed his (what we hope to be) his last chemotherapy treatment. He still has incredibly painful sores in his mouth, but we are hopeful that his body will soon build antibodies to fight the infection. He is having fun shooting water from a syringe, at Dr. Mitchell and his nurses. His best time is during the evening, as he seems to have taken a liking to taking early evening naps. Mark is feeling under the weather today, so please pray for his health and strength. It was mentioned today that there is a possibility of Tyler returning home in a few weeks, and we are very thankful for such an optimistic outlook. Thank you for all your prayers, inquiries and support!

August 23rd Update

The past week has been stable, with Tyler having small fevers and chills, and vomiting, but nothing that has not been manageable. His nurses and doctors, as well as the rest of the excellent staff at the Children’s have made his solitary stay more enjoyable. The nurses have played along to his commands, with one even going underneath the computer table to make him laugh. We truly cannot thank these earthbound angels enough. Today, Tyler’s mouth is extremely painful from the canker sores that have developed, but he is being treated with morphine to ease the pain. Bethany’s remarkable recovery is also something to marvel about, as she still has not complained of any back pain whatsoever. Please pray for Darla and Mark, as they are finding their rigorous schedule challenging, and exhausting. The entire Wallis unit is doing a phenomenal job throughout this tiring ordeal.

"Bestest Birthday Ever"

We celebrated Tyler’s birthday, watching him through his room window yesterday. He opened many presents, which had been wiped and sterilized so as to avoid any unnecessary germs in his room. His favorite toy was a gun that shoots foam balls. Tyler enjoyed shooting the nurses, Nanny, Poppa, Darla and Mark. The hospital provided presents as well as a special birthday cake, as Tyler is on a strict diet. At the end of the afternoon, Tyler expressed that this was his “bestest birthday ever”. Today, his body is retaining fluid, and the doctors are keeping a close eye on his saturation levels. He needs to expel the chemicals that have been used to medicate him, but his body is being stubborn and keeping what it needs to get rid of. Bethany is not complaining of any pain, and is truly a remarkable little girl. She must take an iron supplement twice a day, which she does with ease, and hasn’t been slowed down in the least. Thank you for the birthday wishes, and prayers. Hopefully things will continue on this straight and narrow path towards Tyler’s recovery.

Happy Birthday Tyler!

Today is Tyler’s sixth birthday. We are heading up to the hospital early this afternoon to celebrate the start of a new year. Bethany is doing very well, pleased and relieved to have the procedure over with, and is in not complaining of the pain that she feels in her back. Tyler has an infection in his ports, and a slight fever this morning. Please continue to pray for both of their healing.

A New Start

Bethany was admitted to Day Surgery at 7:00 this morning. She completed her task, and was left to recover, while she watched Tyler receive her bone marrow, with her blood. She was home by 3:00, but is tired from her ordeal. Tyler did very well today, joking with the nurses and I was told he was even complaining of boredom this afternoon. It is now 7 pm, Darla and Nanny will be here shortly to pick up Bethany, as everyone will have an early night tonight. So far the only negative outcome of today was Tyler developing a rash from an allergic reaction to his antibiotics, which are not directly related to the transplant. Bethany is medicated and not complaining of any pain, yet. She returns to the Children’s in the morning to have the bandage removed from her lower back. Thank you for your prayers and support during this much anticipated event. This day marks a new start for Tyler.

Two Brave Children

Tyler has official completed his treatments, and is well underway to his transplant tomorrow. He began his chemotherapy with a 10 hour session, followed by two one hour sessions in three days. He is in great spirits, playing Dominoes with Nanny, Darla and Mark, as well as playing Bingo through the phone with Bethany, who visited him on Saturday and Sunday morning. The doctors have noticed that he is developing canker sores in his mouth, but as of yesterday afternoon, he is not feeling any pain from them. As I write this, Bethany is at the hospital giving a blood sample in preparation for tomorrow’s procedure. I have asked her on separate occasions, whether she is nervous for the operation, and she is sincerely confident that the doctors will take good care of her. She has told me that they have medicine for the pain, and that she will be in and out in one day. The bravery, trustworthiness and confidence of these two small children take my breath away. Thank you once again for the kind words, and prayers that you have shared. Please keep Bethany, Tyler, Mark and Darla at the forefront of your minds tomorrow as they undergo the long awaited transplant.

August 10th Update

Tyler’s course of radiation is now done, and he is onto the next part of his treatment, chemotherapy for the next three days. He was taken by ambulance twice a day, to the General, where he received an hour long session of radiation. His favorite part of the ride was watching Nanny and Poppa balancing on the small ambulance seat, and joking that they were going to fall out of the back. He has now been placed on a restricted diet, much to Tyler’s dismay, and is limited to the type of food that he intakes. For supper the other night, he was served Polynesian Pork, and was definitely not impressed. He is not yet feeling too sick, and is busy painting and playing games. His room has been sterilized, and things from the outside are not permitted into his proximity. Visitors must use a telephone through a looking glass to speak to him, and only Darla, Mark, Nanny and Poppa are allowed to be within the walls of his home away from home. Following the three days of chemo, he will have one day of rest (Monday), and his transplant is slated to take place on Tuesday. Bethany will be admitted on Tuesday for her end of the bargain, and will most likely be released the same day. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

August 8th Update

Things surged ahead as planned this morning, with Tyler receiving his first bout of radiation. Although I have not received the finer details involved in his day, I thought I would simply state that he is settled into his room, at extension 26909, at the Children’s. Tyler was vomiting after the radiation, which is an expected side effect. Your prayers and thoughts are greatly appreciated, and certainly needed at this time.

August 6th Update

Today was Mr. Wallis’ funeral. Tyler spent the day with Mrs. Roach, as we are taking every precaution to avoid exposing him to large crowds of people. He got home later this evening, and as we mourn the passing of Mr. Wallis, we also worry for the unknown that lies ahead for Tyler. We are thankful that he has spent the last three weeks regaining his strength, and childhood. Yesterday, his friend Matthew came for a visit, and the boys spent a few hours playing. Darla, Mark and Tyler have an appointment at the General at 7 AM tomorrow, as Tyler will start his radiation and chemotherapy treatments for the next 3 days. Please pray for Tyler, Bethany, Mark and Darla as they are embarking on the path to Tyler’s full recovery.

Mr. Bert Wallis

On Thursday morning, Mark visited his Father and was surprised to find his father still in bed. Sadly, during the night, Mr. Wallis passed away. With Tyler’s procedure beginning on Tuesday, Mr. Wallis’ viewing will be on Sunday, with his funeral taking place on Monday.

Please pray for everyone’s strength and patience at this time.

Fishing on Lake Champlain

As scheduled, Tyler went to the Children’s on Tuesday for tests and some chemo. Things are looking very good, and he was granted permission to travel to his trailer for the day. Yesterday began with Mark, Bethany and Tyler calling Mix 96, and speaking to Cat and Lisa. They did a very good job, and actually called when they were on their way to the States. Tyler told all of Montreal that he was going to go fishing on Lake Champlain, which he did! He was given a walker to use to assist him, and he is now attempting to walk with it. He is tired today, as he had a very active day yesterday. The Wallis family had a well deserved break from the whirlwind of the hospital, and were able to enjoy a relaxing day as a family.